Lox,

outside of football I might take offence, but football lives (not only but a bit) from national cliches. These comments are very mild compared to what e.g. a Dutchman might say or what we might say about Dutch football.
An example: What is one of the really good things about global warming? Answer: The football WC will always be played without Holland.
Not too nice as well, but we'd be on their side if it was (or will be) a real threat.

My personal favourite is Spain. They have a very good team. After today, I think whether I have to change that prediction. Not yet, I still think they can beat each other team.

I don't see Germany as winner. They have a truly good attack, but a weak defense and that will show against stronger teams (especially if they play quick passes, like e.g. Spain does). We have sent the youngest team since the 1930s and more than half of our players have less than 10 nominations.

In addition to that one could expect the German team to have a goalie of extraclass since at least 1970 as sure as one could expect England to nominate a weak goalie since after the great Gordon Banks. But this time we come with the goalie who would have been considered number 4 some months ago. But suicide and injury have made him the present number 1. He is too young and good for a greater blunder in one of two or three games.

However I expect that one German record will stand. Germany is the only team that has never been eliminated in the first round of a WC. Even the mostly beter than Germany Brazil has been eliminated in the first round once, in England in 1966.

My before the start prediction for Germany was that they'll fly home after the fourth game. I'm not yet ready to change this.

Some German commentaries say that Ballack's injury is the deeper reason why the team did play so well in the first game. If only we could convince the coach to leave out Klose as well...

BTW, a mathematical "proof", that Germany will win: Germany won in 1954, 1974, 1990. 1990 + 1974 - 1954 = 2010. There you are!
Well, last time, the formula was '54x'74-1990 = 2006. And of course, for the next time, if math does fail this time, the unbeatable formula is 1974 plus the digit sums of 1954 and 1990. 1974+19+21 = 2014. Convincing, isn't it? Given enough spare time, one could find a formula for each team's success.

Wolfgang